Dirty Tackle

Barcelona claim Leo Messi has broken all-time record for goals in consecutive league matches

After setting a new world record with 91 goals for club and country over a calendar year in 2012, Lionel Messi was long overdue to beat yet another obscure record. According to Barcelona, he has now done that by scoring in their 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, giving him goals in 17 straight league matches to surpass a record held by Polish striker of the 1930s Teodor Pewterek.

With his goal against Deportivo, Messi broke the record set by Teodor Pewterek, who scored in 16 consecutive league matches between 1937 and 1938. In those 16 matches, the Ruch Chorzów player scored 22 goals, according to Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation.

According to the BBC, FIFA did not immediately confirm Barcelona's claim.

Whether it is indeed a record or not, Messi now has 27 goals in his last 17 La Liga matches. That's 1.58 goals per match all by himself (the Premier League team average for goals per game was 1.40 in 2011-12, according to Opta) and brings him to 40 league goals on the season. Cristiano Ronaldo, who has the second most in La Liga this season, is on 24.

Here's video of the goal that gave Messi a record you will probably forget about before you even finish watching...